Rail fastener



Nov. 8, 1932. J. A. McGREw 1,887,457

RAIL FASTENER Filed July 1, 1931 N El 15-? Patented Nov. 8 1932 i I iU NglTE iD VSIA'TES PATENT OFFICE JOHN mncennw, or ALBANY, new YORK RAIL swam v r Application mainl 1, 1931. Serial: 1%. 638,193.

Thisinvention relates to rail fasteners and form of railway rail is indicated generally particularly to the type by which-the rail is by the numerals10 and is provided with the fastened to atie plate or other supporting usual head '11, web 12 and base flanges 13 and means associated with a cross-tie J l J 14. The tiep'late 15 maybe of any convenient It is a general object of the present invendimensions but preferably extends laterally tion to provide an improved and novel form for some distance on either side of the base o of rail fastener which is simple in design, flanges of the rail. Thetie plateis provided easy to manufacture and eflicient in operawithany suitable means for securing it to the hon. j crosstie, which ma comprise, for example,

A more particular object of the invention the ordinary typeo rail spike or, preferably,

is the provision of a rail fastener of this type lag bolts which are adapted to be inserted which comprises "a lever or a clip adapted to through the perforations 16 formed in the tie bear upon portions of both the rail base and platenear the corners thereof. In the illus- 15 the tie plate or simlar supporting member, a trated embodiment of ,the invention the tie 7 clip securing element such as a bolt or the plate 15 is provided withupstanding ribs or v i like having a portion adapted to beassociated shoulders 17 Wl'1iCl1 define between them the with the tie plate, and means for maintainrail seat 18 which may be level throughout ingthe clip securing element in its properly its entire extent or which may be provided applied position with relation to said tie plate with a medial ridge or peak, or a chamber during the completion of the application or such as shown in mv copending application adjustment of said fastener. i Serial'No. 509,495, filed January 17, 1931.

The principles of the present invention are However, so far as the present invention ,in illustrated in the accompanying drawing' and its broadest aspects is concerned, the rail 7 described herein as embodied in arail fastenseat may be constructed in any preferred or ing assembly similar to the one disclosed in suitable manner, i myco ending application Serial No. 466,506, Outwardly of one or each of the r1bs'17, filed uly 8, 1930, but it is obvious thatthey the tie'plate is provided with the perforation may be incorporated in many .difierent types or slot 20. This slot 20 comprises a substanof rail fastening, such as for example, those 'tially rectangular portion'21 having oppob,

employing rigid as well as resilient clips and sitely disposed parallel vertical walls 22 and thoselin which the bolt or other securing an inner portion 23 which is of the same means is interlocked or associated with the width as the portion 21 at the base thereof,

tie plate in various other ways. i but is provided with upwardly converging L Other objects and features of novelty will walls 24:. This construction obviouslymakes be apparent from the following specification the width of the topof the slot portion 23 when readin connection with the accompany-, considerably less than that of the bottom of ing drawing. v L the slot.

In the drawing; 7 In the preferred construction illustrated, Figure 1 is a plan view of a tie plate and the rail fastening means are dupllcated upon rail fastening-means constructed in accord either side of the rail base. lThis'arran e- I ance with my lI'lVQIItlOIl,-Wlth a portion of ment,however, may be' var1ed, as stated, y i c one of the clips broken away to reveal the providing a rail fastening device upon but connection between certain of the securing one side of the rail base without departing I means and the tie plate, the position occupied from the scope of the invention as defined 95 by the rail being indicated by broken lines; in the claims. 7 I

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional An essential element of the rail fastening view taken on' line 2 2 of Figure 1; and assembly is the preferably resilient lever or t Figure 3 is a cross sectional'view taken on clip 25 which comprises the U-shaped inter- 50 line 3-3 of Figure 2. mediate portion 26 having an elongated sub- 1,00 As illustrated in the drawing, a standard stanti'ally horizontal leg 27, the mner lower i edge 28 or which is adapted a; bear upon It will be understood, furthermore, from the'foregoing description and the drawing,

the upper surface of the rail base, and another shorter leg 29 which terminates in a vertical downwardly directed portion 30. J, A narrowed tongue 31 is formed upon the ,vertical portion 30' dividing the ,shoulders 32 upon either side thereof. The tongue 31 is adapted to' enter the vertical walled portion 21 of the slot and shoulders 32 are adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the tie portion of the slot.

plate upon each side of, the extreme outer Substantially centrally of the elongatedhorizontal leg 27 of the clip, a portion 35 l w is severed from the material of the clip upon three sides and is bent downwardly as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing soiasto provide the opening 36 in the leg 27 for the insertion of a bolt'or like fastening means,

and to provide a vertically downwardly extending tongue the later described.-

' -In order to secure the clips to the tie plateand to cause them to bearwith considerable pressure against the top of the rail base purpose of which will be a flanges,'there are provided suitable fasten-.

ing elements such as, for example, the bolts 40 which are adapted to pass through the I .o'penings36 formed in the upper elongated legs 27 of the clips 25. Each of the bolts are provided with a T-shaped head 42 having a beveled or upwardly converging end surface 43 corresponding intaper to the walls 2 1 of the portion 23 of the slot in thetieplate. 7

that, during the application and adjustment of the rail fastening means, the tongue 35 will maintain the bolt 0 in it's interlocked rela-' tion with. the tie plate and eliminate allposs'ibilitiesof \accidental displacement thereof during the completion of the application of the fastening'means; The clips 25 as shown,

are rather wider than the slot 20 and, were it not for the provision of the means such as the tongue 35, it would be extremely diificult' 4 thus facilitatin the final tightening and adjustment of the fastener.

The embodiments illustrated and described are susceptible of various changes and modifications within the scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

- 1. A rail fastener for securing a railto a tie'plate or the like, comprising in combination, aspring clip having a horizontal arm,

a vertical arm, an intermediate U-shaped bend, and a vertical tongue depending from all the elements of the rail fastening ass I 35 Threaded upon the upper end of the 'bolts40 are the nuts 45 which are adapted to bear upon aid horizontal arm, said horizontal arm the upper surfaces of the legs 27 whentightened upon the bolt. "Washers/16 may-be pro vided in this conection ifdesired. 1

In assembling therail fastening elements ,which have just been described, the headof the boltis inserted in the straight walledportion 21 of the slot 20 and moved inwardly beneath the overhanging converging walls 24, into the inner portions 23 of the slot. The clip or lever 25 is thenplaced on the shank of the bolt so that the bolt willexten'd through I the opening 36. In applying theclip the nar-.

row tongue 31 is inserted in the outer part of the rectangular portion 21 of the slot and the tongue 35 isadapted. to project into the inner part bf the portion 21 'and t o bear, preferably 1 with a slight-resilient for.ce,against the'outer side of the bolt 40 and the flatouter surface of thebolt head 42, The nuts 45 and 46 are then placed upon the shanks of the bolts and are screwed down upon the legs 27 of the clips,

thus causing the edges 28'to bear firmly upon the upper surface of the base of'the rail. the preferred embodiment, wherein the clips are formed of relatively thin platesof 'resil ient metal, it willbe seen that besides form ing resilient clamping means for the 'base flanges of the rail, the clips-25 also perform 65 the functions of locks for the nuts 45.

- adapted. to bear upon the rail base; said vertical arm adapted toengage a portion of said 'ti'e plate, and flexing and,se'cur1ng means as-;

' iated with said horizontal armand said \m;

tongue.

2;. Ina rail fastener, 1n combinatlonfa. tie

plate having a rail seat thereon and a slot formed therein, a U-shaped spring retaining tion of said clip to said tie plate.

' 3. A rail fastener for securing a rail to a tie plate or the like comprising, in combination, a spring clipprovided with a horizontal tical arm adapted to engage a portion of said 120 arm adapted to bear upon the rail base, a ver-' tie plate, flexing and securing means associa d with said clip, and means formed on said clip for holding said flexing and securing means in properly applied position during the assembly of the device; 1'

4Q A rail fastener for securing a rail to a tie plate or the like comprising, in combination, a spring clip provided with an elonreeves? gated horizontal arm adapted to bear upon the rail base, a vertical arm adapted to engage a portion of said tie plate, a bolt adapted to pass through said horizontal arm for securing said clip to said tie plate, and a tongue formed on said clip for holding said bolt in properly applied position during assembly of the device.

5. As an article of manufacture, a spring clip for use in connection with a rail fastening device, which comprises a flat metal plate having an elongated horizontal arm, a short vertical arm, and an intermediate U-shaped bend, said horizontal arm having a portion thereof struck downwardly therefrom to provide an opening for the insertion of fastening means and a tongue for abutting said fastening means.

6. In a rail fastener, in combination, a tie plate provided with a slot, a lever having one end adapted to bear on the rail base and the other end adapted to engage said tie plate, a fastening element adapted to pass through an opening in said clip and a portion of said element adapted to interlock with the walls of said slot, and means carried by said clip to hold said element in interlocked engagement during the further assembly of said fastener.

7 In a rail fastener, in combination, a tie plate, a lever having an arm adapted to bear on the rail base and another arm adapted to engage said tie plate, a fastening element adapted to pass through an opening in said clip and a portion of said element adapted to be connected to said tie plate, and a third arm carried by said clip to hold said element in position during the further assembly of said fastener.

8. In a rail fastener, in combination, a tie plate or the like provided with a slot comprising an outer straight walled portion and an inner portion, the walls of which converge upwardly, a spring lever one end of which is adapted to bear upon the rail base, and the other to engage the tie plate, a flexin and securing bolt adapted to pass throug an opening in said lever, a head on said bolt having beveled walls, said head during application of said fastener adapted to be inserted in the outer portion of said slot and to be moved inwardly to interlock with the converging walls of said inner portions, and a tongue adapted to extend downwardly from said clip, enter said slot, and to bear against said bolt to retain it in said interlocked position during completion of the application of said fastener.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN A. MOGREW. 

